Broccoli is a delicious, healthy vegetable that can be added or made into a main ingredient in a variety of dishes, such as stir-fried broccoli, capcai or vegetable soups. However, it can be difficult to prepare broccoli if you don't know how to cut it. An easy way to cut broccoli is to first separate the florets, the individual flower parts that grow from the main stem. After that, you can peel and cut the stems if you want.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Cutting the Broccoli florets
Step 1. Wash broccoli thoroughly
Take the broccoli heads and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water from the tap. Run your fingers between the heads of the florets to remove any dirt or insects stuck to them. After that, dry with a clean cloth.
Broccoli should not be cleaned by soaking it in water
Step 2. Remove the leaves from the broccoli stem
Broccoli leaves-even though they are high in nutrients- are rarely used in cooking. Removing the leaves will also make the broccoli appear more uniform and create a more attractive looking floret cut later on.
Broccoli leaves can be removed or used in lettuce (salad) which can be served as a side dish in addition to the main course of broccoli florets
Step 3. Cut the branches of the florets that are under the flower canopy
Use a knife or kitchen shears to cut off the branches of the florets from the main stem, as close to the underside of the florets as possible. The ideal place to cut it is where the stem starts to branch into different florets.
- The florets are the parts of broccoli that grow like tiny trees that branch from large green stems.
- Due to the density or location of the florets, you may not be able to cut the broccoli neatly at first. Don't worry, you can trim the cut once all the buds are off the stem.
Step 4. Cut all the broccoli florets from the stems
Start at the outermost part and work your way up to the cluster of florets in the middle. You can also slice the florets apart. Don't forget to flatten the cut marks at the base of the florets.
- Ideally, make a cut about 2.5 cm below the base of the floret.
- If you're cooking broccoli, try to make sure they're all the same size so that they cook evenly.
- If you're going to eat them raw, size doesn't matter and you don't have to slice them as large.
Step 5. Separate each floret to the center
Once the outer florets are cut, you can reach the center. Cut until all the florets are separated from the main stem.
Step 6. Cut the florets to the same length
Medium-sized broccoli will be both beautiful to look at and quicker to cook for any dish you're preparing. Leave a stalk about 1 cm long on each floret.
Stems that are too long will make the florets scatter when cooked or processed
Step 7. Cut the florets into smaller pieces, if desired
Big florets are delicious when cooked, but when mixed with other ingredients-such as in capcai-large pieces will upset the balance with other ingredients. Take the large florets and:
- Cut in half with a knife or scissors. Splitting the large florets into two halves will balance their size with the smaller ones. Or…
- Split the very large florets into four parts. Very large florets may need to be divided by four to equalize in size with others.
- The same size of the florets will make the whole broccoli ripen evenly when cooked.
Part 2 of 2: Chopping Broccoli Stems
Step 1. Remove the inedible part of the stem
The very end of the stem is too woody and hard to eat. Use a knife or scissors to cut the base of the stem 2.5-5 cm long. This part can be discarded or composted.
Step 2. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough skin
Broccoli stalks are very similar in nutrition to the florets and are sometimes even served in restaurants. Even so, peel it first to remove the tough outer layer of skin.
In restaurants, cooked broccoli sticks are usually served with the name “coins”
Step 3. Cut the broccoli stems into thin sticks
Since broccoli stems are healthier and denser than florets, these parts will take longer to cook. That's why you should cut them into thin sticks about the size of potato wedges. Use a knife to split the stem vertically into two halves. Hold the two halves together and split once again vertically to divide them into quarters.
- For very large broccoli stalks, just keep cutting them until they are as small as you want them to be.
- This process of cutting vegetables into thin sticks is known as "Julienne style". This is a common method for preparing dishes. In case you want to learn more about how to cut vegetables the Julienne style.
- You can also line up and cut the broccoli stems with a knife or scissors to stack the sticks together.
Tips
Broccoli florets make a healthy snack that is crunchy when eaten raw
Warning
- Always be careful when using a knife, especially if the blade is sharp. Cut by aiming the sharp blade away from your body.
- If children are helping cut broccoli, keep an eye on them at all times when they are holding the knife.
